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“Although we differed on politics, we never differed on our love of Pittsburgh,” said Pittsburgh Democratic Mayor Bill Peduto, paying tribute to the contributions Scaife made to the city, using his newspaper’s website obituary page, which featured memories and condolences from politicians and colleagues.

Jerry DeFlitch, news copy chief for the Tribune-Review, praised Scaife’s love of journalism. “You only had to see him once, when he arrived in the morning, to realize how much being there was among his greatest joys,” he said.

A number of prominent Republicans offered their condolences and tributes to a man that strongly promoted and funded conservative causes in the mid-late 20th century.

“What makes him so unusual is the degree to which he has taken responsibility for what is written in his paper: Assuring that every word is as accurate as possible, offering a balance of opinion, and steadfastly promoting America’s enduring values,” said former Massachusetts Gov. and 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney on the website. “Like his paper, he is an institution.”

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican, praised Scaife both for his philanthropy as well as his contributions to revitalizing Pittsburgh. “He helped lead Pittsburgh from being a city many thought a rusty relic from the past into one of the most picturesque and livable cities in the nation,” he said.

Former Florida governor and potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush praised Scaife’s charitable work and said the activist “had no agenda other than protecting and advancing our freedoms in America.”

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld also lauded Scaife as a “patriot” who was crucial in building the modern American conservative movement. “Dick Scaife helped to build the modern conservative movement through his support of worthy causes and institutions. … A patriot and philanthropist, Dick Scaife will be remembered for a long life, well lived,” he said.

On June 3, before Scaife’s death, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) wrote the Tribune-Review to praise the publisher as a “patriot who can truly claim to have spent his life giving … immeasurable service [to] our country.”